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San Francisco 49ers WR Brandon AIyuk could be traded during the offseason
Despite the alarming number of injuries the San Francisco 49ers have had this season to quarterback Brock Purdy, tight end George Kittle, and a host of wide receivers, the team still has the No. 2-ranked passing offense in the NFL.
Mac Jones has revived his career filling in for Purdy. He’s thrown for 2,151 yards, 13 touchdowns, and six interceptions with a passer rating of 97.4 across eight of 11 games.
Perhaps even more impressive is the fact that Jones performed so well with an inconsistent group of pass-catchers.
San Francisco has had a revolving door of receivers play this year because of injuries including Kendrick Bourne, Jauan Jennings, Ricky Pearsall, Demarcus Robinson, Skyy Moore, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Jordan Watkins.
And while the team’s offense seems to be getting back to full strength, star wideout Brandon Aiyuk has yet to make his season debut. While he’s recovering from torn ACL and MCL injuries, some doubt Aiyuk will return before the playoffs begin.
But one team insider recently cast doubt that Aiyuk will play for the 49ers again.
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In a recent mailbag, 49ers insider Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area asked fans for some overreaction questions following Week 11’s 41-22 win over the Arizona Cardinals.
“With how the offense looked, there is no need for Aiyuk. He will never be seen in a 49er uniform again,” one fan stated.
Maiocco’s assessment was simple. “Overreaction? No.”
“Right now, the 49ers have Jennings, Pearsall, Kendrick Bourne and Demarcus Robinson as their top four wide receivers,” Maiocco wrote. “As for the future, Aiyuk is under contract through the 2028 season after signing a four-year, $120 million extension before the 2024 campaign.
“But, as we’ve learned with lucrative, long-term contracts in the NFL, there are no absolutes there, either. That is why just about anything seems possible at this point.”
If Aiyuk does, in fact, miss the entire 2025 season, one would assume his trade value would be fairly low.
When San Francisco was shopping him last year before he signed his four-year, $120 million contract extension, the team reportedly was seeking a first- or second-round pick for the 27-year-old All-Pro.
After not playing for a season-and-a-half, it’s hard to imagine the team getting that kind of return for him now.
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GettySan Francisco 49ers WR Jauan Jennings
Some big changes are likely coming to San Francisco’s wide receiver group this offseason.
Bourne, Jennings, Moore, and Trent Taylor are all free agents, leaving Aiyuk, Pearsall, Robinson and Watkins as the only wideouts under contract in 2026.
The 2026 free-agent class is relatively thin. But the team could entertain adding one of the big headliners like George Pickens, Mike Evans, Jakobi Meyers, or Romeo Doubs.
Pulling off a major trade could also be a possibility. Miami’s Jaylen Waddle, New Orlean’s Chris Olave, and Philadelphia’s A.J. Brown were all on the block before the Nov. 4 trade deadline, and all three could be available in the offseason as well.
The 49ers could also turn to the draft to add more firepower. Cal’s Jordyn Tyson, USC’s Makai Lemon, Ohio State’s Carnell Tate, Washington’s Denzel Boston, and Alabama’s Germie Bernard could all be mid-to-late first-round options.
Michael Gallagher Michael Gallagher is a sports journalist covering the NFL for Heavy.com. He has more than a decade of experience working for both local and national news outlets covering the NFL, NHL, NBA, WNBA, college football, and MMA. His work has been featured in Newsweek, Yahoo Sports, Fox Sports, Athlon Sports, The Hockey News, the Nashville Scene, SB Nation, and Yardbarker. More about Michael Gallagher
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